Related Stories

The Maple Leafs are in dire need of secondary scoring, which is not peeling back the cover on a well-kept secret.

Don’t worry if you’re Troy Bodie or Carl Gunnarsson or Tim Gleason. It was nice that each of you, in a rare bit of production, managed to put the puck in the net during the four-game trip last week.

But it’s not something that is expected from you on a regular basis, and any time it happens, it’s a bonus.

The Leafs, who will return to practice at the MasterCard Centre on Monday after having Sunday off, have 28 games remaining.

And if this team has true designs on a playoff spot, where it’s likely that nothing will be guaranteed until the final week of the 2013-14 regular season, some players who have been stuck in a dry rut will have no choice but to find a way out of it.

This means you, Nazem Kadri, owner of three goals in your past 25 games; and you, Joffrey Lupul, with five in 20; and you, Mason Raymond, with three in the past 26 games.

Perhaps it’s time coach Randy Carlyle broke up the duo of Kadri and Lupul, as they have not supplied a heck of a lot offence playing on the same line. While Kadri has been nagged by trade rumours and probably will be until the NHL trade deadline comes and goes on March 5, Lupul has had no such outside noise but has scored in just two Toronto victories since the end of October.

Lupul represents an annual salary cap hit of $5.25-million US, which is a lot of dough for someone who hasn’t been scoring with consistency. Lupul had 11 goals in just 16 games last season when he spent much of the lockout-shortened campaign injured, but rediscovering that touch has been elusive. Lupul is third on the Leafs with 137 shots on goal, behind Phil Kessel’s 206 and James van Riemsdyk’s 183, but he is not being paid well to almost score.

Raymond didn’t have many options as an unrestricted free agent when he finally signed with the Leafs on Sept. 23, and he impressed early. But after scoring 10 goals in his first 28 games as a Leaf, they have come few and far between since.

There has been talk of the idea that Peter Holland should get a shot alongside Lupul. Holland’s ice time has fluctuated since his recall from the Toronto Marlies two weeks ago and with 17 points in 58 career games, more experience might be required before Carlyle could honestly start using the 23-year-old more often.

The top line of Tyler Bozak between Kessel and van Riemsdyk has been getting it done in the offensive zone on most nights.

It’s not just Kadri, Lupul and Raymond who have been missing from the scoresheet. There has been little supplied from the bottom six, to the point that when a guy such as Bodie scores, it’s a surprise.

It’s great that the defencemen have started to score, but those goals shouldn’t have to make the difference.

Of course, it’s easy to simply say that several players who have not been producing just have to start doing it. The Leafs have to improve in several areas for that to happen.

Too often the Leafs become unglued in the defensive zone, which isn’t exactly a blueprint for turning the puck back up the ice and creating scoring chances. The forecheck is inconsistent, and when the Leafs have sustained pressure, it’s noticeable because it does not happen with regularity.

Never mind that the Leafs lead the National Hockey League with 1,792 hits; if they possessed the puck more, they wouldn’t have expend so much energy on taking the body. Even when the Leafs have the puck, they can’t hold on to it, leading the NHL with 627 giveaways.

It’s paramount for a balance in scoring when the goaltending, which let the Leafs down in their past two games, is mediocre.

Whether the Leafs get to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second year in a row doesn’t rest solely on the shoulders of Kadri, Lupul and Raymond.

But if those players start to do with some consistency what they’re being paid to do, the Leafs’ chances of getting an invitation to the dance only will increase.

REIMER REASON

Randy Carlyle slightly bristled when he was asked what went into his thinking to start James Reimer ahead of Jonathan Bernier on Saturday night in Winnipeg against the Jets.

“Well, we have only two goalies, it’s 50-50 and this is his home town,” Carlyle said after the game.

“He has played well and it was the plan when we had mapped out the week. Playing Bernie and giving him the number of starts we have ... we had enough practice time and preparation, we just felt (it was right) to make the decision to let a guy play in his home town.”

Of course, it did not end well for Reimer, who was cheered derisively and was pulled after giving up four goals on 19 Jets shots.

Maple Leafs in desperate need of secondary scoring

The Maple Leafs are in dire need of secondary scoring, which is not peeling back the cover on a well-kept secret.

Don’t worry if you’re Troy Bodie or Carl Gunnarsson or Tim Gleason. It was nice that each of you, in a rare bit of production, managed to put the puck in the net during the four-game trip last week.

But it’s not something that is expected from you on a regular basis, and any time it happens, it’s a bonus.

The Leafs, who will return to practice at the MasterCard Centre on Monday after having Sunday off, have 28 games remaining.

And if this team has true designs on a playoff spot, where it’s likely that nothing will be guaranteed until the final week of the 2013-14 regular season, some players who have been stuck in a dry rut will have no choice but to find a way out of it.

This means you, Nazem Kadri, owner of three goals in your past 25 games; and you, Joffrey Lupul, with five in 20; and you, Mason Raymond, with three in the past 26 games.